Transit Research Analysis Committee Letter Report November 16, 2011 (2011) / Chapter Skim
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Letter Report
Letter Report
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The TRAC summer meeting agenda and list of participants are included in Attachment A I wish to express special thanks for the introductory remarks made by Robert Bertini, Deputy Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, and for the guidance and information offered by Bruce Robinson, Deputy Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration, and Innovation (RDI)
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The 2010 TRAC letter report, issued on October 21, advises on appropriate next steps for RDI to support FTA's strategic goal on transit safety. According to the deputy associate administrator, RDI's safety research efforts are proceeding in a manner consistent with this advice.
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Individual transit users, of course, differ with respect to the aspects of service that are most important to them, even as they share certain interests such as in having reliable and timely information on transit service status. Although some transit users depend heavily on transit for mobility, others have a greater variety of travel and nontravel options.
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The report concludes by summarizing the tentative plans for TRAC activities over the next year. SUMMARY OF TECHNICAL SESSIONS ON THE RIDERSHIP EXPERIENCE The technical presentations during the summer meeting were organized into three panel sessions, as shown in Attachment A
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He noted that regular transit riders are travelers who are "choice" or "captive"; the former have more travel choices, including the option of foregoing travel. El-Geneidy noted the importance of surveys that can identify and distinguish between such individuals, so that the service attributes that are most important to them can be better understood and perhaps better met.
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They explained how the use of GPS-enabled personal digital assistant devices, coupled with personal interviews, allowed them to obtain more complete and accurate observations of trip-making activity in concert with the expressed interests of travelers. They noted that advances in consumer technologies such as smart phones have the potential to enhance the precision and completeness of such surveying, and they believe additional research is needed not only to assess 6
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They suggest that advances in everyday consumer technologies such as smart phones are providing the opportunity to help meet this need by providing a richer array of data on rider experiences. At the same time, however, the presentations indicated the importance of ensuring that transit agencies can make effective use of this information.
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He pointed out that smart cards are a primary means of collecting fares today, but that open payment technologies that allow riders to pay with a regular credit or debit card are becoming more popular, particularly on rail systems. He noted that smart phones and bar codes displayed on them are also likely to become more commonly used.
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He also noted the importance that standardization of service schedules and status information could play in ensuring that such technological capabilities can be effectively exploited, and he stressed the need for research to address this data need in ways that do not deter innovation. Joshua Robin described the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's process for making vehicle schedule and status data openly available to Internet and smart phone software developers.
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They suggested that targeted research may be warranted to identify where such standardization may be desirable from a user and operator perspective. The expanding use and capabilities of smart phones also present equity issues that may warrant research -- for instance, on methods to ensure that real-time travel information and convenient means of fare payment are available to the still-significant proportion of the traveling public that does not have access to smart phone technology or has visual or hearing impairment.
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On the subject of attracting and retaining riders, she recommended research focused on the interests and experiences of former transit users, who are often overlooked in studies but can provide insights on ways to retain riders. Graham Carey discussed the concept of a bus lane with intermittent priority (BLIMP)
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She believes that the system characteristics that are most important to transit users in rural and small communities are not well understood and that more research on this topic is warranted to enable providers of these vital services to meet their customers' needs. The research on BRT versus LRT indicates that the system characteristics transit riders indicate a preference for may not always align with observed and revealed service preferences.
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Cohort studies that examine changing interests at different stages of travelers' lives, longitudinal studies, and before–after research were mentioned as possible means for identifying these interests and may warrant further consideration by RDI. The presentations revealed how advances in everyday consumer technologies such as smart phones have the potential to transform the ridership experience by making scheduling and service status information more timely and transparent.
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Making good use of these resources requires strategic planning, as advised in previous letter reports. In this regard, TRAC notes that RDI's core research program, the National Research Program, proposes $20 million for discretionary research to increase ridership, improve operating efficiency, understand the service needs of rural and targeted populations, improve planning and service projections, advance safety, and provide research 14
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Separating the accounts will give greater prominence to FTA's research activities, commensurate with the agency's critical national research role. In its budget proposal, FTA emphasizes the use of the National Research Program to support research not generally undertaken by the private sector, including studies on transit policy issues, operational efficiency, and travel behavior.
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Development of such a road map is critical to ensuring that research results are available to guide agency decision making. Such a planning document is necessary even in the absence of a safety regulatory role for FTA, because transit safety is an issue of national significance that warrants an active FTA research program to help inform the 16
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TRAC concurs with this approach and its emphasis on deliberate research planning and looks forward to RDI reporting on the progress it has made in developing and implementing the safety research plan. NEXT STEPS FOR TRAC The deputy associate administrator indicated during the summer meeting that TRAC should continue to convene technical sessions for research related to FTA's other priority areas.
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In advance of the winter meeting, I intend to communicate with you and the deputy associate administrator to confirm your interest in the state of good repair as a topic for the 2012 summer meeting and to consider further how the panel sessions should be organized. Sincerely, J
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Barry Barker, Chair, TRAC Bruce Robinson, FTA 8:50–9:10 a.m. Kickoff Speaker Robert Bertini, Deputy Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration 9:10–11:10 a.m.
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Green, President, GFI Genfare Smart Cards and Other Fare Payment Methods Alan Borning, Professor, University of Washington Real-Time Bus Information Joshua Robin, Director of Innovation, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Smart Phone Apps and Other Technologies 12:30–1:30 p.m.
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Barry Barker, Chair, TRAC Panel 1: Key Research Issues, Outcome, and Research Action Agenda Anna Barry, TRAC Member Panel 2: Key Research Issues, Outcome, and Research Action Agenda Barbara Cline, TRAC Member Panel 3: Key Research Issues, Outcome, and Research Action Agenda J Barry Barker, Chair, TRAC FTA Assessment Bruce Robinson, FTA 10:30–10:45 a.m.
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Jesse Casas, NuStats Kathryn Coffel, Kathryn Coffel Consulting Ahmed El-Geneidy, McGill University Jennifer Flynn, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida Kim R Green, President, GFI Genfare Jill Hough, Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, North Dakota State University Marcelo Oliveira, GeoStats Joshua Robin, Director, Innovation and Special Projects, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Other Attendees Bruce Robinson, FTA Michael Baltes, FTA Walt Kulyk, FTA Fred Williams, FTA 22
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Christina Gikakis, FTA Matt Lesh, FTA Venkat Pindiprolu, FTA Kay Nordstrom, FTA Betty Jackson, FTA TRB Staff Tom Menzies Claudia Sauls Amelia Mathis Katherine Kortum 23
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